Zooming in Time--Exploring Students' Interpretations of a Dynamic Tree of Life

Autor/inn/en	Stenlund, Jörgen Ingemar; Schönborn, Konrad Janek; Tibell, Lena Anna Elisabet
Titel	Zooming in Time--Exploring Students' Interpretations of a Dynamic Tree of Life
Quelle	In: Journal of Science Education and Technology, 30 (2021) 1, S.125-138 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Stenlund, Jörgen Ingemar) ORCID (Schönborn, Konrad Janek) ORCID (Tibell, Lena Anna Elisabet)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1059-0145
DOI	10.1007/s10956-020-09893-x
Schlagwörter	Evolution; Time; Scientific Concepts; Computer Oriented Programs; Visualization; Science Education; Science Instruction; Teaching Methods; Computer Uses in Education; Secondary School Students; Interaction; Visual Aids; Error Patterns; Science Process Skills; Concept Formation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Zeit; Computerprogramm; Visualisation; Visualisierung; Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Computernutzung; Sekundarschüler; Interaktion; Anschauungsmaterial; Fehlertyp; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung
Abstract	Central to evolution is the concept of a common ancestry from which all life has emerged over immense time scales, but learning and teaching temporal aspects of evolution remain challenging. This study investigated students' interpretation of evolutionary time when engaging with a multi-touch tabletop application called DeepTree, a dynamic visualization of a phylogenetic tree. Specifically, we explored how interactive finger-based zooming (zooming "in" and "out") influenced students' interpretation of evolutionary time, and how temporal information and relationships were conceptualized during interaction. Transcript analysis of videotaped interview data from ten secondary school students while they interacted with DeepTree revealed that zooming was interpreted in two ways: as spatially orientated (movement within the tree itself), or as time-orientated (movement in time). Identified misinterpretations included perceiving an implicit coherent timeline along the y-axis of the tree, that the zooming time duration in the virtual tree was linearly correlated to real time, and that more branch nodes correspond to a longer time. Sources for erroneous interpretations may lie in transferring everyday sensory experiences (e.g., physical movements and observing tree growth) to understanding abstract evolution concepts. Apart from estimating the occurrence of dinosaurs, DeepTree was associated with an improvement in interpretation of relative order of evolutionary events. Although highly promising, zooming interaction in DeepTree does not facilitate an intuitive understanding of evolutionary time. However, the opportunity to combine visual and bodily action in emerging technologies such as Deep Tree suggests a high pedagogical potential of further development of zooming features for optimal scientific understanding. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01